This Gluten Free Zucchini Bread gets an extra recipe twist thanks to fresh orange juice and zest! It’s also gluten free and dairy free, but you wouldn’t know it. This gluten free zucchini loaf is super moist, tender, and fluffy all while being made with better-for-you ingredients and naturally sweetened with just a touch of coconut sugar and maple syrup.
And apparently, I’m on a citrus kick! If you’re like me and craving bright Summer-y recipes, you should also make sure to check out this grain free Lemon Blueberry Cake, or these Vegan Lemon Cake Cookies.
Ingredients in Gluten Free Orange Zucchini Bread
Almond Flour – My favorite gluten free flour, I love how it keeps this loaf super moist!
Gluten Free Flour – When I tried making this recipe with just almond flour the bread was a little too wet. The addition of gluten free flour really helps create the perfect moist and fluffy texture in this gluten free zucchini bread. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour in this recipe, but any Gluten Free flour should work.
Eggs – They help bind and hold together the loaf.
Coconut Oil – You want to make sure it is melted and cooled. Otherwise, you risk clumps of coconut oil or the eggs getting cooked from hot liquid.
Maple Syrup – I added a little bit of maple syrup to help add a touch of sweetness. I also find it helps keep the bread extra moist!
Coconut Sugar – Again, just a touch of refined-sugar free sweetener to give this Orange Zucchini Bread just the right amount of sweetness.
Orange Juice & Zest – This addition takes regular Zucchini bread to the next level by adding an extra punch of bright flavor!
Vanilla Extract – I add this to most of my baking recipes because it helps balance out the flavors.
Baking Powder & Soda – As this recipe is mostly almond flour, the combination of baking powder and baking soda helps act as a rising agent since almond flour is heavier than regular flour.
Salt – You need the 1/4 tsp of salt to help balance and enhance the flavors of orange and zucchini.
Zucchini – It wouldn’t be Gluten Free Zucchini Bread without zucchini, and this recipe uses a full cup of packed, shredded zucchini. You don’t need to peel the zucchini, and in fact, I prefer it when it’s not peeled as it adds extra flecks of bright green to the finished loaf.
How to make Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Combine Wet Ingredients – start by beating eggs in a medium size bowl. Whisk in maple syrup, coconut oil (melted + cooled), coconut sugar, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together dry ingredients – almond flour, gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate small bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients – and stir until just combined.
- Stir in shredded zucchini (make sure you have squeezed out the water). Do not over mix.
- Move loaf pan to the oven and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean and top is nicely browned.
Recipe Substitutions
Almond Flour – As a grain-free recipe, there isn’t a great substitute that would work for almond flour so this isn’t something you can skip on.
Gluten Free Flour – If you didn’t need to keep this recipe gluten free, you should be able to substitute all purpose flour. Alternatively, another option would be oat flour. I haven’t personally tested either of these methods so if you do try and it works I would love to hear in the comment section below!
Coconut Oil – A different neutral oil such as sunflower oil or canola oil *should* work, although I haven’t tested for myself.
Coconut Sugar – If you don’t need a refined-sugar free option, any granular sugar replacement should be okay such as regular sugar and light or dark brown sugar.
Orange Juice & Zest – Want to stick with regular zucchini bread? Just sub the orange juice for almond milk (or milk of your choice), and you should be good to go!
Since I haven’t personally tested all of these substitutions, if you try any of the above and they work, I would love to hear in the comments below! This helps other people who might have similar questions about recipe substitutions for this Orange Zucchini Bread.
Can I make Zucchini Muffins?
While I haven’t tried, it would be easy enough to turn this recipe into gluten free Zucchini Muffins! If using a regular muffin pan, I would fill each muffin liner so it was 1/2 – 3/4 full.
I haven’t tested this myself, but I’m guessing the baking time would be around 14-16 minutes. Same with the bread, you would want to wait until the tops are browned and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean to know when they are done.
Tips for the best Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Line the loaf pan with parchment paper – I find this makes it easier to remove the loaf from the baking pan and also makes clean up easier.
- Remove liquid from the zucchini – make sure you fully drain the shredded zucchini. I usually just use a paper towel and wring it until no water remains. You want to make sure you have a full packed cup of shredded zucchini after it’s been drained.
- Use fresh oranges – the fresh orange juice + zest adds such a refreshing twist to this Gluten Free Zucchini bread.
How to Store Zucchini Bread
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to add a paper towel to the container as this helps keep out extra moisture.
For longer term storage, wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can do this with individual slices for easy snacking, or the entire loaf.
Why I love this Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Refined-Sugar Free.
- Super moist and fluffy! The *best* texture of any Zucchini Bread I’ve ever tried. No one will know this bread is gluten and dairy free.
- Lightly sweetened with just 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/4 cup of coconut sugar for the entire loaf.
- Quick and easy to make.
- Perfect for breakfast or an on-the-go snack.
- Great use for all of your Summer zucchini.
If you’re looking for other gluten free baking recipes, make sure you check out my Gluten Free Coffee Cake. Alternatively if you’re looking for another loaf recipe my PB&J Banana Bread is the best of both worlds. Wanting muffins? Then my Almond Flour Banana Muffins would be the perfect breakfast treat.
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST EVER Gluten Free Zucchini Bread 🙂
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 ea large eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted & cooled
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice ~1-2 oranges
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup gluten free flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded zucchini squeezed of water and packed full*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9"x5" loaf pan with parchment paper
- In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in maple syrup, coconut oil, coconut sugar, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla extract.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together almond flour, gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to bowl of whisked wet ingredients and stir until combined. Stir in shredded zucchini. Do not overmix.
- Move pan to the oven and bake at 350F for 40 - 45 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean and top is nicely browned. Let cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to add a paper towel to the container as this helps keep out extra moisture. For longer term storage, wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can do this with individual slices for easy snacking, or the entire loaf.
Notes
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I am by no means an experienced baker and this bread came out so good!!! I’ve only been gluten free for a few years now and I really appreciate recipes like this. I made a glaze as well to top it. Just perfect. Simple to make, not too wet like a lot of GF breads, not too sweet. Love it. Thanks for the great recipe.
My loaf did not work out at all, wondering if you could shed some light on it. I used 1 cup coconut flour and 2 cups of the Bob’s gluten free, The loaf is so dry and crumbly that it’s sides are crumbling away when I try to slice it. Everything else I did exactly as the recipe but the flour choice in my case didn’t seem to work at all. Could you let me know what I can do different next time? Thanks so much!
Hi Anna – you can’t substitute coconut flour for almond flour. Coconut flour is SUPER drying so that’s why you ended up with a dry and crumbly loaf. I will always list out any substitutions within the blog post, otherwise I can’t guarantee how a recipe will turn out. Hope you can try it again with almond flour – it’s truly delicious when you make it as listed! Thanks! – Casey
Could you add chocolate chips to this?
Yes, you totally could!